People's Light Theatre Presents THE SECRET OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 7/7-8/8

People's Light & Theatre Company presents The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, by Jeremy Paul, from July 7 - August 8, 2010 on the Steinbright Stage. Artistic Associate Stephen Novelli directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.

The Secret of Sherlock Holmes explores the depth of the relationship between the brilliant and enigmatic Holmes, acknowledged expert in all matters criminal, and his accomplished chronicler Watson, military doctor and veteran of the second Afghan War.

Playwright Jeremy Paul was part of a team of writers for Granada Television, which produced the popular Sherlock Holmes adaptations (starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes) between 1984 and 1994. While writing for the series, Paul became particularly interested in the beginnings of the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, which inspired him to write The Secret of Sherlock Holmes. In his introduction to the play, he writes, "But if this was to be a play about friendship, there was a mystery to solve. How could any man allow his closest friend to believe he was dead for three whole years? Therein lay the enigma and the key to Holmes' complex personality. If I could unravel that...."

"The story really does attempt to give us genuine insight into the emotional lives of Holmes and Watson in ways that none of the other stories do," Director Stephen Novelli says. "Because of the break in their relationship and then Holmes' return years later, it's not like they can pick up where they left off. Holmes is dealing with some serious emotional issues that his intellectual and psychic makeup don't equip him for."
Peter DeLaurier and Mark Lazar will be reprising their roles as Holmes and Watson from People's Light's 2008 production of Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily, by Katie Forgette. Both actors are longtime members of the People's Light Resident Ensemble.
The Secret of Sherlock Holmes previews on Wednesday, July 7th and Thursday, July 8th. The play opens on Friday, July 9th at 8pm and runs through August 8th. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each Thursday evening performance to discuss the production.

Single tickets range in price from $29 - $48, with special discounts available for students and groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email group@peopleslight.org. Prices are subject to change.

THE SCOOP

With this production People's Light continues its program called The Scoop: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every performance. A member of the cast or artistic staff will discuss the world of the play, how and why it was chosen, as well as how it was cast, designed, and rehearsed. Refreshments will be available in the lobby before The Scoop begins and before the performance. The program will start one hour before the curtain and will take place in the theatre. No reservations are necessary.

ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT

People's Light, a professional theatre founded in 1974 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration.

KEY BIOS

Jeremy Paul (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who was born July 29, 1939 and educated at King's School Canterbury and St. Edmund Hall Oxford. His plays include Manoeuvres, Dead Easy, Love Doesn't Grow on Trees, The Watcher (which received critical acclaim at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival), Making Good, Claire's Key, Juliet on the Nile, The Russian Girl, Bogdan's War and the musicals The Little Match Girl and The Lady or The Tiger. His screenplays include On the Edge, Frederick, French Cricket, Little Charley Ross, The Flipside of Dominick Hide, Where Have You Been?, and Sink or Swim. His play The Secret of Sherlock Holmes ran for a year at Wyndhams Theatre in London and then toured throughout England. He is a founding member of the hugely successful Orange Tree Theatre located in Richmond, Surrey in England. He has both written and directed in this venue. Mr. Paul is married to the actress, sculptress and writer Patricia Garwood and has four daughters, Amanda, Tara, Sasha and Sophie.

Stephen Novelli (Director) recently played Most Ancient in Gossamer. Other recent roles include Gloucester in King Lear and Saladin in Nathan the Wise. Last season he appeared at People's Light as Dr. Manette in A Tale of Two Cities and Darius in The Persians. He has directed Tuesdays with Morrie, Camping with Henry and Tom, Valley Song, Measure for Measure, As You Like It and Glengarry Glen Ross for People's Light. A member of the resident company since 1974, he now serves as an Artistic Associate.

Peter DeLaurier (Sherlock Holmes) played Sherlock Holmes two years ago in the premiere of Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily. Other shows recently at PLTC: Kent in King Lear, The Patriarch in Nathan the Wise, Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities, The Persians, and The Director in Six Characters in Search of an Author (Barrymore Nomination). An Artistic Associate at PLTC, he has been with the Theatre since 1981. Other PLTC productions: Hard Times, Galileo, Abundance, Holes, In the Blood, Sister Carrie and the international tour of Kabuki Achilles. Nominated for the Outstanding Actor Barrymore Award for PLTC's Man from Nebraska, he won for Underneath the Lintel at the Lantern. He has played in Skylight and QED at the Lantern and will play the title role in Uncle Vanya there next fall; he directed Sizwe Bansi Is Dead last season and will direct Vigil next season. He playEd Matthew Cuthbert at PLTC in his recently published stage adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (nominated for the Barrymore for Outstanding New Play). He has directed at PLTC and at theatres around the country, serving as Artistic Director of New Stage Theatre in Jackson, MS. With his wife, PLTC actress Ceal Phelan, and other friends, he co-founded The Delaware Theatre Company in 1978.

Mark Lazar (Dr. Watson) is a company member celebrating his twelfth year with PLTC. In addition to spending the last six holiday seasons in a dress for the annual Panto, he includes King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Foreigner, The Crucible, The Miser, Born Yesterday, The Little Foxes, Camping with Henry and Tom, Hearts, and of course, Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily as among some of his recent favorites here. He is an eleven-season veteran of The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival where he was a Resident Company Member, while spending many off-seasons at The Charlotte Repertory Theatre. As a founding member and ten-year veteran of The Acting Company at The Madison Rep, he performed regularly with nearly all of Wisconsin's professional theatres. Mr. Lazar is the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge in The First State Children's Theatre annual live theater radio broadcast of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Up next at People's Light: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and the 2010 Holiday Panto, The Three Musketeers.